Here Comes the Groom
by wikelia
Summary: Hiccup has ten days to convince Astrid to marry him, or both of them could meet a fate worse than death. The good thing is that he has all of Berk by his side, ready to help. The bad thing is, Astrid hasn't been friendly with him for over a year and very much hates him.
1. Prologue

It had been a slow day. Gobber was just looking around, hoping for anyone, anyone to come by and say they needed a saddle, or that their dragon was sick. He., he would take baby Thunderdrums over nothing.

No one came.

Gobber sighed. Having nothing to do meant that he had to get started on cleaning the shop, something he had been putting off since Drago attacked. That would mean that he hadn't cleaned up in say, two years. And it wasn't like there had been many cleaning sessions before that. By the time he was done counting everything and organizing it all, it would be time for him to do it again.

He found an old box that was labelled "Stoick", and deciding that he had done enough work (which was just thinking about what he had to do), he sat down and opened it.

There was a bunch of things in there, although most of it was rocks. Gobber smiled fondly. Him and Stoick had always collected rocks, the strangest, most exotic ones. Valka would have always been telling the pair of them to find a better place to store all the rocks the=an underfoot.

Slowly, Gobber softly took all of them out, intending to show the kids of the village some of the best ones. Some of them were perfect for sharpening blades.

At the very end of the box, there was a parchment, rolled up tightly. At this, Gobber's brows furrowed. That didn't ring a bell at all. He unrolled the parchment, skimming through what it said.

The man nearly burst his eyes out when he read it. This was horrible. This was so very bad. He ran from the forge, deciding to clean it later.

Hiccup had to know.

* * *

The chief pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing heavily.

"You're joking."

"A'm not," Gobber insisted, shaking the paper in front of Hiccup's face, "Stoick an' Arvid had a deal, lad."

Hiccup took the paper and skimmed over it desperately. "Gobber, there is absolutely no way my dad would make a deal like this." He stood up, agitated. "It's ridiculous!"

Gobber sighed and motioned for him to sit down. "They both thought they were gonna die. They did nay actually think they would live to have children."

"But then why not tell me?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Because in case you didn't notice, Gobber, they did live. And now - well, they're...gone! Without telling me nor Astrid that they they signed a deal for us to get married." He sat down, exasperated. "Married, Gobber," he said again, in case his mentor didn't hear it the first time.

"A'm sure he meant to tell ya, but then ya two were together. He mus' have thought ya would ge' married anyway."

Hiccup pointed at the contract. "Ten days, Gobber. Ten days, starting tomorrow, I have to somehow convince Astrid to marry me. All because a contract signed in blood can never be broken. Have you forgotten that we haven't spoken more than two sentences to each other in forever?" He started pacing. "Have you forgotten that Astrid Hofferson hates me?"

"An' you hate her?"

"Yeah," Hiccup said softly, facing the wall, not looking at Gobber. Ugly memories were forcing their way up to his head. "Yeah, I hate her too."

"Now," Gobber said, attempting to cheer him up, "I'm sure it's not tha' bad. You two were happy -"

"Emphasis on were. Gobber -" He looked up, trying to decide what was best to say. "I know what I have to do, but that doesn't make it any easier."

Of course it didn't make it any easier. Marriage itself was a difficult thing. In what world was he ready to share his life with someone else like that? There would be responsibilities, and the thought of the entire tribe pushing him to produce an heir was terrifying.

But the most scary part of this all was that it was Astrid. Of course, she would do it if their lives came into question, but then there was the other damned fact of the contract.

Astrid was not to be told. Was his father drunk when he had made this, thinking he was going to die? Or was he just stuck in some story, where the author needed a cliche way to add more drama?

What would happen if he was to break the pact? Hiccup thought long and hard about it. Thor himself would curse them, and probably the entire island along with it. It was all up to him. The groom was to wed the bride who hated his guts in ten days. And it wasn't like he was particularly fond of Astrid either.

Not after everything that had happened.

* * *

Hiccup stumbled into the arena, clenching his fists when he saw Astrid. Her aim had never changed; each small knife in her hand met it's target. Each one she threw swiftly, although why she was so tense was beyond him.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Astrid didn't seem to hear him. She hadn't even turned around. He looked down at his metal leg, it had clinked the whole way there.

"Hey," Hiccup said louder, stepping closer to her.

This time, Astrid turned. She had a bright smile on her face, which immediately turned into a frown when she saw him. Hiccup's stomach churned.

"What's wrong? Is someone attacking?"

"Nope." Hiccup leaned on the wall, crossing his arms. Oh boy. "Just dropping in to say hi."

Astrid's eyes narrowed. "Since when -" she began, as she threw a knife at the target without looking - "do you just drop in to say hi?"

"Since today!" he answered, his voice overly cheerful. She did not share his enthusiasm, however, and simply stared at him with an unimpressed look.

Hiccup cringed. This conversation was going exactly as he thought it would, like a complete disaster. Vividly, he remembered back when they were kids - there had been infinite instances when he just couldn't talk to her.

And then, of course, like a dull blow to the stomach, the memories of when they could talk to each other sprung back up, teasing and taunting him that she didn't like him like that anymore. He remembered their casual touches and the kisses on the cheek and the dragon rides together.

All that was gone. Their relationship was gone.

"I-it's just, you know, we haven't spoken in a while, and -"

"And," Astrid cut in, giving him a deathly glare, "whose fault is that?"

Her Berk Guard Look of Death™️️ was the worst thing in the world. No one escaped it, no one dared to glare back. Hiccup laughed fakely.

"I just...I was sitting in my room today…" He fiddled with his fingers, sighing. Eye contact was necessary. He looked up at her. "And I realized that...the torch...that I once had for you…"

Gods, this was difficult. Astrid looked half confused and half impatient.

"That torch!" Hiccup exclaimed, hoping the dramatics would somehow make this easier somehow. "It's fire never went out. I...I still love you, Astrid Hofferson."

Bad, bad, bad, bad idea. Her cheeks reddened with displeasure, and it spread to her ears. Kind of like how they did when she was being tickled - except then she didn't look as though she was about to scream at him (well, she did, but this time it looked serious).

Before Astrid could speak, Hiccup went on. "And! And - and - and...and," he said, holding up a finger, "I was really hoping that you would marry me. Is that cool with you?"

It seemed as though she was at a loss for words. Astrid's mouth opened and closed again, her brows furrowed and her fists clenched. Hiccup took a step back.

And then suddenly she was running towards him, with a single tear falling out of her eye. She was going to hug him, maybe tell him she felt the same way, probably scolding him for not bringing a ring.

Oh. Oh, she was drawing back her fist and he was slightly too close.

The contact that he was met with was certainly not a hug.

But then again, this was Astrid Hofferson - soon to be Haddock or soon to be dead - and to expect anything less than a punch would have been ridiculous.

 **Yes I KNOW I just started two new stories when I have three unfinished ones, but tHIS IDEA ISN'T LEAVING MY HEAD OKAY**


	2. Day 1

**Day 1**

"No."

Hiccup shook his head, trying to force himself to go back to sleep. It didn't even matter that he was standing on a hard, wooden floor, or that there was a mead bottle in his hand, or that his cheek was already bruised and it might rip if it was met with such hard contact. Right now, he had a raging headache, and this was not something he wanted to see.

But then again, who really ever did want to see a sight like this? His mother, Gobber, Eret, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs, all standing in his house, looking as though they were ready to give him a therapy session. Or worse, help him seduce his bride to be.

Because Astrid would so obviously be wooed by whatever romantic gesture Tuffnut Thorston had thought up.

Valka tsked. "You won't get anywhere with that attitude, son. And have you been drinking?" Ignoring his scowl, she pried the bottle from his hands. Hiccup groaned and sank into a chair as Fishlegs pat his back sympathetically. It was too early for this.

"Hiccup, we just wanna help so that you don't die. No big deal, right?" Fishlegs looked eager. "I mean, it is a wedding." He squealed. "Oh, I've wanted to plan your wedding since forever!"

Hiccup shot a glare at Gobber. "Did you tell everyone in the village? Astrid can't find out, you know, it's -"

"I know. Only the people in this room know," he said confidently, holding out a hand to reassure him. Valka drained the mead outside the window and Hiccup whined lightly, at which his mother shot him a disapproving look.

Hiccup stood up and stomped his foot. "The people in this room are…" He did a quick headcount, looking around. "Seven people too many."

"Including me?" Eret asked dryly, raising his hand as he leaned against the wall.

"Why are you even here?" Hiccup asked, raising an eye. "I mean, no offense, but you haven't showed that much interest in my relationship with Astrid before."

Eret shrugged. "To be fair, I haven't shown much interest in any -" He paused as he saw Ruffnut's smirk. "No, stop it, we do not have a relationship."

"As you wish, my yak chop," Ruffnut said in a sing song voice, winking at Hiccup, who scowled even more. Seeing people flirting in his house, while he was clearly hungover thinking about his ex girlfriend who had punched him the day before, was not helping.

Eret sighed. "But Astrid is my friend. As are you, chief. I can do a small thing for my friends."

"What small thing?" Hiccup asked, raising an eye. When everyone in the room simultaneously looked away, he cried out urgently, "What small thing are you talking about?"

Being a chief sucked. There was so much responsibility, and the ones who were close to you didn't even see a reason to listen to you.

His mother soothingly rubbed his back. "We're going to help you woo, Astrid. One day at a time."

"Oh. Oh great," he scoffed, "I'm dead. It was nice knowing you all!" he shouted, waving his arms.

Snotlout crossed his arms. "Hey, what makes you think we can't help?"

Hiccup stared his cousin dead in the eye. "I really don't want dating tips from a guy who hasn't been on a date in his whole life, another guy who's only dated one Berserk dragon rider, a guy who thinks shoving fish in someone's face counts as romance" - Tuff made to interrupt but Hiccup went on - "his twin sister who either hates guys with a passion or is ready to jump them if possible, a dragon trapper who's lived with men most his life, a blacksmith that isn't even into girls, and…" He took a deep breath, before raising his voice. "A lady who's lived with dragons for twenty years!"

Valka frowned. "Well, with that tone, no one's going to date you."

Hiccup didn't answer. He sat down and buried his face in his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eret roll his eyes at the chief's dramatic actions.

"Well, then," Gobber said awkwardly, "today's my turn. Are you ready?"

"Ready to jump off a cliff."

"That's the spirit, son," Valka said as encouragingly as she could, looking at Gobber with a worried expression.

* * *

Astrid wasn't in the arena this time. That only left the entire island to search, no big deal. Gobber's plan repeated itself in his head, and Hiccup cringed. Oh, a bruised cheek was only the start of his pains.

Hiccup asked her mother, who, albeit very confusedly, told him that Astrid was on guard duty.

Oh. Right. Berk guard. He flew around the village, finally finding her leaning against the mountainside she was standing on. Without being too loud, he got off Toothless, offering him a fish, which he happily accepted.

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Astrid?"

She turned her head to look at him, and a scowl appeared on her face immediately. "Again? What is it this time, you wanna elope?"

"No," he sighed, standing next to her when he was sure it was safe, "but...I meant what I said. I really do miss you."

"So much that you wanted to marry me right then and there?" Astrid asked, looking irritated that he was even breathing the same air as her.

He offered her a weak smile. "Joke."

"I don't like jokes," she snapped, finally actually looking him in the eye. Her stance showed that she was ready to fight. Her hair was out of place a bit, and there were bags under her eyes. Hiccup furrowed his brows in concern.

"Didn't you sleep last night?"

"What are you trying to do, Hiccup?" Astrid said, frustrated. "Did you think that if you gave me time to - to heal and all that bullshit, we'd go back to the way we were?"

"I was just asking!" Hiccup snapped, his anger with her getting the best of him. "Excuse me for being worried!"

Astrid was always difficult. Maybe it was a good thing they had broken up after all. Their personalities were like Toothless's two tailfins. Completely different. Just useful in different ways.

"I don't need you to be worried!" she cried, standing up straight. "I can take care of my own damn self, Hiccup! Is - is that what this is? An inquiry about my health?" She gaped at him. "Did my mother put you up to this?"

He took a deep breath. "No. Astrid, I -"

"I hate you," she snarled, clenching her fists and opening them again, "go to Hel, Hiccup. Leave me alone."

"I don't want to date you!" Hiccup shouted back, and then took a deep breath. That was both a lie and it wasn't. He really didn't wanna date her. But with his predicament, he had better want to or else he would die. "All I wanted was to be friends again!"

Astrid stepped forward, and he stepped back, a nasty drop right behind him. "I'm not the one who broke our friendship, chief!" She spat the title out venomously, and that served to make him angrier, because it only reminded him of what she had done.

"Yes you did!" He ran a hand through his hair, feeling his metal leg slipping for a brief second but ignoring it in his agitation. "You're the one who -"

Before he could finish, he saw Astrid's ears turn red as she screamed, stepping even closer, "That was an accident and you know it!"

It was one step to close. In his haste to get back, Hiccup slipped off the edge. He saw Astrid's look of terror, and he closed his eyes as Toothless's roar echoed in his ear.

But he didn't even fall properly when a hand curled around his and Astrid's gasp of breath echoed loudly around the walls. He looked up to see her clenching his hand tightly, her entire face now red as she hauled him up. Relief swept his body so hard he nearly passed out.

They both sat, then, panting. Hiccup leaned against the wall and Astrid looked down at where he would have fallen. She looked terrified, backing away as quickly as he had fallen. Toothless came up to Hiccup, and licked his face eagerly.

"Thanks," Hiccup said quietly, when they both had calmed down a bit.

Astrid stood up, leaning against the wall like she had been when he found her. "Whatever."

Time to put Gobber's plan into action. Biting back his pride, Hiccup asked, "Would you like to go with me to an island tomorrow?"

Her head snapped up, but before she could speak, Hiccup held up his hands in surrender. "Not as a date. Like, as an...acquaintance. I haven't been to this one yet, it's too big, I've just scoured over it. I - I may need some human protection." He scratched under Toothless' chin before the dragon could protest. "And I think you've proved a lot of times that you can take care of both of us. This time being the most recent."

A deep breath.

"I miss you, Astrid."

This speech was rehearsed, and he felt bad for it. Because it didn't matter how much they hated each other, it just wasn't right to not be sincere unless you were dealing with...a killer. The irony of that struck him oddly. Astrid wasn't a killer, he had to remind himself.

"Alright," Astrid answered quietly, breaking his train of thought. Hiccup smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. Instead, she started walking down the mountain.

It was strange not to see her fly. He supposed he'd have to get used to it.

" **AHEM, WHY DID THEY BREAK UP?" is the summary of reviews I got for the last chapter on . I wonder how this one will be…**

 **Originally, it was gonna be Astrid who fell, but I've had a lot of Damselstrid in my life *cough* Race to the Edge *cough***


	3. Day 2

**Day 2**

That day, Hiccup felt himself being shoved around more than he had been for a good few years. It seemed all of his friends had advice, Ruff had told with him a wink that Astrid was nervous too, since the two had not gone anywhere alone for such a long time. Then, she stood in front of him, with her hands on her hips.

"Open your mouth."

Hiccup shook his head stubbornly. "I am not having kissing practice with you."

"As if." Ruff snorted. "Eret and I are in a very committed relationship with each other, thank you very much." She quickly went on before he could argue that Eret was terrified of her. "And by the way, if I did want you to practice with me, you would have to, seeing today is my day. I own you for a day, Haddock."

"You don't own me!" he squeaked as she got a devious gleam in her eye. "Ruff, please just tell me what to do. How it goes with Astrid depends on you."

"Exactly," she muttered, and smirked. "Open your mouth. This is the last time I'm asking nicely."

Her hands already had him pinned against the wall by the shoulders, and Hiccup was terrified as to what she would do if he didn't obey. If this was nicely…

Hiccup opened his mouth. Ruff raised a bottle, and then sprayed something in his mouth, making him gag. She let go of his shoulders, and Hiccup doubled over on the floor, his eyes watering. She had sprayed quite a lot.

"What was that?" he choked out, looking up at her as she cackled. "Ruff, what was that?"

She cooed at him, helping him up and pinching his cheeks. "Poor thing. That, my sweet little chief -" he resisted the urge to point out he was taller than her - "was something to make your breath smell good. When ya smooch, ya need it."

"Oh for Thor's sake," Hiccup sighed, exasperated. Now that he wasn't choking on whatever she had put it in his mouth, he had to admit it tasted pretty good, but still. "I'm not kissing her today, Ruff."

"But you might."

"I'm not going to."

"But you might."

"But I won't."

Ruffnut grabbed the front of his armor and pulled him down until he was eye level with her. "But you might. Don't play this game with me, Hiccup, I always win. Now here's what you're going to do."

Hiccup pouted.

* * *

"Do you see anything?" Astrid asked behind him. He shook his head and her grip on his waist loosened.

"I was talking to Toothless."

As Toothless seemed to laugh at his expense, a small smile spread across Hiccup's face. Their easy teasing was one of the things he missed most about their relationship. It had been so easy to unwind around Astrid, especially when she had started relaxing around him too. So many days on the Edge, hand holding and kissing and teasing as they planned together.

He missed her more than he cared to admit.

They landed, and the first thing Toothless decided to do was throw them off his back. The minute Hiccup left the saddle, he had to groan to himself. Now his dragon wanted to join in on the matchmaking? Toothless never threw him off, so this was obviously a ploy.

And it worked, of course. Hiccup grunted as he hit the floor, and then shrieked lightly as Astrid followed right on top of him. He had a small memory of the time he had caught her when she was blind, but that time, he had been on top of her and she had not seen exactly how close they were.

Now, she was on top of him and saw perfectly just how close their lips were to touching.

Hiccup stuttered a little, a blush forming on his face, starting at his cheeks and deepening when a piece of Astrid's hair fell loose on his cheek. She seemed pretty mortified herself.

They both got up with awkward coughs and she tucked her hair behind her ear. "So, think we'll find a new dragon here?"

"I can hope," he said, and they started walking, Toothless trotting behind them, warbling and putting his snout under Astrid's hand. She laughed.

"Missed me, huh? I missed you too, buddy."

When she wasn't looking, Hiccup mouthed "suck-up" to his dragon and was rewarded with a whack of a tail.

As they walked, it was surprisingly Astrid who started the talk up. "So…"

"So?" he implored.

"Have you seen the strategies I left for you a few days ago?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Oh. Yeah. I did. They were good. I take it Eret helped too?"

She nodded. "He's only been an advantage to Berk."

"Do you think him and Ruff will ever -"

"No way." A smile broke out on her face. "I mean, okay, maybe. But she needs to give him his space, and he needs to give her a chance before that happens."

"What about 'Lout and 'Legs?" He crouched down to get a plant sample, and Astrid stopped next to him, taking some water from Toothless's saddle.

She chugged down quite a bit before answering. "I think they have a better chance than she does with Eret. They're both really sweet towards her. Like you were."

Right away, even before another damn blush could form on his face, her face looked regretful. Her entire stance changed, and she pressed ahead.

Again, silence, and finally Hiccup broke it. "How have you been doing?"

"Okay." She shrugged, running her hand over the bark of a tree. "You know, as okay as I can be. There's a lot more work that there was when we were kids. Defending Berk, well, I've always wanted to do that."

"You have always done that," he said, and she smiled. How brilliant her smile was he had forgotten, or he had just never noticed in the first place.

"How is your mother?"

Well. Yours?"

"Still feral."

Another smile graced her lips, followed by a small laugh. "You must be loving it, then, dragon boy."

The old nickname, one that he hadn't heard from her in a long time, was fresh. They really could have been teenagers again, wanting to see the world and fighting together on dragonback.

"As must you, milady."

It was a stretch, but nothing changed, either she hadn't really registered it or she was actually fine with it, which was what he hoped.

Astrid stopped suddenly, and she put a hand up, stopping them. "Do you hear that?"

He shook his head, bewildered, and then all of a sudden she turned around, ran towards him and knocked him down. His stomach had the daylights punched out of him with Astrid's force.

There was a swoosh above them, and then he felt Astrid stiffen. She stood up, and then finally saw what it was.

In front of him was a Triple Stryke. Astrid's fists clenched - he took a step back. "It's okay, we can train it."

"With what sound?" she snapped, glaring at him. "I - I don't have…"

Spines.

Her face seemed to crumple, as it did every time Stormfly was brought up. Hiccup quickly shouted for Toothless as the Triple Stryke made to shoot again. The Night Fury blasted the other dragon, as his rider picked up two sticks.

And then Astrid snatched them from him. He did not stop her. She had trained the one they had on the Edge while she was blind, so of course she could do it now. She beat the sticks together, and the Triple Stryke stopped attacking Toothless and looked around wildly. Toothless backed away, understanding what was happening.

Astrid beat the sticks again, while Hiccup cursed his luck. They just had to have a repeat of what had happened the day their romantic tension had threatened to explode in him.

He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard Astrid's small sigh. The Triple Stryke's nose was pressed against her palm.

"Nice job," he said, walking up to her, and noticing there was a stray tear on her cheek. She swallowed, wiped it off, and then nodded.

"Thanks," she muttered gruffly, and then started walking the other way. She wasn't really going anywhere. He knew she just wanted to hide her face. Toothless cooed, and that seemed to spur the newly trained dragon to run after it's trainer.

Astrid laughed softly when it pushed under her hand again. She stroked the top of it's head, but did not turn back to look at Hiccup.

It all kept coming back to Stormfly. Of course it did. Did Astrid even remember why he had been mad at her, or was it just all his fault?

"Let's get going, then?" he asked, suddenly filled with horrible nostalgia, "we still have a lot of the island to see."

Astrid finally looked at him, and she nodded. The Triple Stryke followed, staying near her the whole time.

They got through the rest of the island quickly, but quietly, and it was only the dragons' occasional sounds that were heard.

 **Guys, I'm so sorry! I realize that I put Astrid asking if her mom and dad put Hiccup to this, while I already said Arvid is dead. Silly mistake. I've fixed it!**

 **Whatever happened to Stormfly? And why is _Hiccup_ mad at _Astrid?_ (See, I asked the questions for you so that you actually have to review. Ha.)**


	4. Day 3

**Day 3**

The morning began early, with the chief of Berk trying to sneak out of his own house. Toothless was still asleep, so it was all up to him. And the door was too obvious, so he had to use the window to get outside. He slung a leg over the frame, looking down nervously.

And then Tuffnut Thorston's voice came, from inside the house, saying, "Whatcha doin, H?"

Hiccup yelped in surprise, and his metal leg slipped out. His life flashed before his eyes about the fifth time just that week, and he already had his arms above his head for protection when Tuff grabbed his legs and pulled him back in. Hiccup shrieked lightly.

"You were trying to get away from me!" Tuff accused, narrowing his eyes.

"I w-wasn't." He leaned in what he hoped was a casual pose against the wall. "Just wanted some fresh air."

Tuff looked at him for a few seconds, before his face brightened. "Oh, okay. Anyway, as you know, it is my turn to help you with your Astrid problem."

Mentally, Hiccup groaned. He had of course been trying to escape. Why Tuffnut had already been in his house was beyond him. Astrid would probably hate him after today. There would be no wedding, there would be a funeral. That was, if there was anything of his body left.

"So, do you remember what day it is today?"

"Am I supposed to?" Hiccup asked weakly, sagging his shoulders.

Tuffnut sighed dramatically. "Yes, H. Today is the death anniversary of Astrid's father. He died in battle exactly three years ago today. Astrid is going to be upset, and you can bet she won't be in the mood to romance it up with you."

Hiccup groaned - he was right. Tuffnut was absolutely right. And of course, if he wasn't on a clock, he would have left Astrid alone today. But they were running out of time everyday. Some progress had to be made already.

"So what you're saying is the best course of action is for me to just not do anything? At all?" He sat down, rubbing the back of his neck which had tightened in stress. "That's not exactly something we can -"

Tuff smacked his head.

"Ow!"

"I said she was in no mood to romance it up with you, not that she was a sobbing mess on the floor!" He pulled him up, looking him up in the eyes. "You can still approach her as a friend, get her to like you! Friendship is love, H, without friendship you can forget about her loving you. Now, listen closely." He held up a finger. "Astrid is going to be mostly distant the whole day."

"How do you know?" Hiccup inquired, rubbing his head.

Tuff gave him an odd look. "Just because you stopped talking to her doesn't mean we all did. We're both your friends."

"Oh." It was a bit like a slap in the face. "Right."

"So, listen good." Tuff leaned down, his hands on his knees. "While you were dating, you guys were always supporting each other. That's what Astrid needs right now. Your support. Cheer her up." He waved his hand. "Offer your condolences, but your goal today is to cheer her up."

* * *

Astrid was sitting by the docks, staring out into the open water, obviously lost in her own thoughts. He cautiously approached, sitting down next to her. "Hey."

"Hey," Astrid mumbled, giving him a side glance, "what's up?"

Hiccup scooted ever so closer to her. "Nothing. I just wanted to check up on you. I'm sorry."

Astrid bit down on her lip hard. "He was brave, wasn't he? He was a real Hofferson."

"Not a doubt." And there really wasn't. Astrid's father was one of the bravest people he had ever met (only a brave man could marry Astrid's mother and raise Astrid). "I bet he's smiling down at you from Valhalla now."

And cackling at me, Hiccup added as an afterthought, both him and my dad must be so damn proud to put me in another mess. He hated this entire contract. It wasn't fair, to him or to Astrid. Even if they were still in love. What about just not being ready to marry?

"Fearless Astrid Hofferson," he said quietly, nudging her and letting out a deep breath, "yeah, he would be really proud of you, Ast. You're -" here he stumbled slightly - "a-amazing."

Astrid looked at him properly, and he saw her bangs brush against her pretty blue eyes. Damn, it was always the eyes that got him, because Astrid Hofferson's eyes were damn beautiful. Even when she was upset, they seemed to light up the sky more than the Northern Star could ever hope to.

"You don't need to lie to make me feel better," she murmured, gazing into his own eyes. Her tone was serious, but there was a playful twinkle in her eye that he hadn't seen in a long time. When he did catch it, it made his stomach flip violently. Thor. Even when he didn't like her, this woman drove him crazy.

Before Hiccup could respond, music filled the air, and both the chief and his general turned their heads to see a few children dancing in the the middle of the village. Their parents encouraged them on as they spun with each other and laughed as they fell on one another. One woman was playing a violin smoothly at the side.

Astrid smiled. "I remember when we used to do that. You fell a lot."

"I did not," Hiccup said indignantly, and she laughed, throwing her head back with her arms behind her. He grinned.

One of the little girls saw them, and with the widest smile on her face ran up to them. Her name was Runa, and she latched onto Hiccup's arm and pulled him. "Chief, Chief! Come dance with us - please! Pretty please! Pretty please with dragons on top!"

Astrid smirked at him, and he blushed scarlet. Oh great. "Uh, Runa -"

"Please!" she begged, folding her hands and doing a pout that Hiccup knew could very well convince him to jump off a cliff.

The chief stood up, and Runa cheered, dragging him by the hand to where the kids were dancing. He didn't ask Astrid to follow, but she did, and just like the the parents, she laughed when Runa started spinning them both around.

It was worth it to see the smile on both Astrid's and Runa's face. In fact, he could do better than that. Hiccup picked Runa up and spun her, making her shriek with delight. One of the boys took her hand once she was back on the floor, and Hiccup spun and bowed to Astrid, offering a hand. "Milady?"

She snorted, but it seemed the smile wasn't leaving her face. She mock curtsied, taking his hand and allowing him to spin her to the music. "Quiet charming, Chief. You've changed since we were kids."

"I've changed?" Hiccup asked playfully, picking her up for just a second. "I think it's you who's changed, General Hoff. If I asked you to dance when we were kids, I'd be scared for my life."

"That's why you wouldn't," Astrid retorted, twirling him in response and making the kids giggle.

Hiccup would have to remember thank Tuffnut later. He was crazy, but he had a viewpoint on love that the rest of them didn't quite have. It was useful.


	5. Day 4

**Day 4**

 **(In this story, Hiccup and Astrid were never betrothed like in RTTE. I started this story before the latest season came out, and therefore am disregarding it.)**

 **Also, something to address: I am getting quite a few reviews saying that nothing could split Hiccstrid up, and that even if something could, it would be such a big thing that they shouldn't get back together. Here's my response.**

 **1.) This is fanfiction, not canon.**

 **2.) This is** _ **my**_ **story.**

 **3.) These are animated, cartoon characters that I'm writing about. While we can write about them as though they are as mature as something like Thirteen Reasons Why, I choose to keep that...kids' happiness type for this story.**

 **4.) This is more of a chick flick type story than anything else. Is it serious at some parts? Yeah, but it's serious like She's All That serious, not Fifty Shades of Grey serious.**

" _Hiccup," Astrid murmurs softly. Her golden blonde hair is spilled on his chest, and she finds fistfuls of his tunic to hold onto. "Can I talk to you?"_

 _Hiccup focuses more on her voice than her words for a moment, because it's so soothing, and he needs it. It's only been a week, and he needs every soothing thing he can get. He clutches Astrid tightly in his arms. "Of course."_

 _He hears her take a shaky breath. "It's about Drago."_

 _He clutches her even tighter._

" _What about Drago?"_

" _Drago…" She slips her hand in his. "Drago...I…" She looks straight into his eyes. "I told Drago about Berk. I made him speed up his attack on the nest."_

 _Although he doesn't think anything of it at the time, only holds her closer, Astrid's eyes are saying something else. Something that he'll begin to hear soon enough._

' _I killed your father.'_

* * *

Hiccup swallowed as Snotlout Jorgenson walked in his hut. Snotlout. The actual woman repellent. Sure, Ruff and Tuff had exceeded his expectations, but what did Snot know about romance? Zip. Zilch. He had never been on a date, for Thor's sake. His flirting sucked. This was going to be the day Astrid dismembered him completely.

Snotlout sat Hiccup down, looking serious, and then asked, "Can you propose yet?"

"What - no!" Hiccup turned crimson. Maybe marrying Astrid Hofferson seemed a little more appealing today than it did yesterday. "Of course not!"

"Well, there goes that idea." His cousin scowled. "When do you plan to? You don't exactly have all the time in the world."

"I know that! But I can't propose just yet, okay?" Hiccup waved a hand agitatedly. "We're friends. If I propose, I'll ruin that."

"Uh, you'll die if you don't."

"Really, Snotlout? I didn't know that! Thank you for that very interesting information!"

Snotlout scowled at his sarcasm, before collapsing into a chair. "Well, you need to romance it up somehow. Can't you at least ask her out on a date?"

Hiccup threw an arm over his eyes dramatically and shook his head.

"You're impossible, cuz. Messed up and impossible."

Silence.

"Can you kiss her?"

"No!"

* * *

They worked out a plan that had many flaws. In fact, it was so risky that he didn't want to carry through with it - but really, what other choice was there? It wasn't like Hiccup had lots of knowledge about flirting. Him and Astrid had just...fell into place. There had never been any asking out. They had kissed on the Edge and that was that. They were them.

He never had to worry about doing romantic things except maybe a few sweet gifts here and there. A necklace, her saddle updated, her axe sharpened. Some sweet words. Kisses and hugs and hand holding. That was it.

The only really romantic thing that had happened had been without his intention, and that was the first flight they had ever taken together. He didn't think Toothless was going to take them through the clouds and he certainly hadn't expected Astrid would have wrapped her arms around him.

That was a flight Hiccup would never forget.

It was a good thing, too, because he intended to recreate it. And this time, it was very much planned out. All it took was a little convincing on Toothless's part.

And precision. Berk was not an empty village by any means. She had people around her. But if there was one thing that boy and dragon were good at, it was aiming well.

Hiccup swooped down, Toothless held out his claws, and grabbed Astrid's arms before beating his wings back up. Her shriek was only rivalled by the child who had been standing five feet next to her and had watched the short spectacle with wide eyes.

"Hiccup Haddock!" Astrid shouted furiously, kicking her legs to no avail, "you son of a brothel wench, jerk of a troll, half-assed -"

The curses continued, but Hiccup kept flying, kept going until they reached the forest before the cove. Now, he wasn't so smitten as to remember the exact tree, but he just picked a really tall on, and then pat Toothless's head to let Astrid fall onto the branch.

"Damn you, Chief!" Her grip on the branch was tight, her face was red.

"Chief?" Hiccup asked amusedly, before remembering there was a script. "Oh. I mean, you have to give me a chance to explain."

"I am not listening to anything you have to -" Astrid began, before pausing, as realization seemed to dawn on her. Somewhere, hidden in all his nervousness, Hiccup felt a twinge of amusement that she said the same words she had when she was fifteen. She was so different, yet still so much the same now.

"Then I won't speak," he mumbled, holding out his arm. Astrid seemed to look conflicted, she was staring at him with desperate curiosity. To take her feelings into account, just four days ago they weren't on speaking terms and now he was recreating their first flight. "Just let me show you.

"Please, Astrid."

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, grabbing his hand and hiking herself up on Toothless. It was a practiced move - she had ridden Toothless plenty of times, of course.

Hiccup had asked Toothless to skip the rush, frightening part of the ride, and he wasn't exactly sure that Toothless had planned to comply, but it seemed he was when he gently rose into the sky and rode with the clouds.

Astrid's hands were loosely gripping his shoulder pads. They didn't speak.

They hadn't spoken the first time either, but this time, it just seemed awkward. Hiccup grit his teeth. This wasn't working. It was a day wasted.

"What are you doing, Hiccup?" Astrid's voice cut through his depressing thoughts. "Getting to be best friends again? Wooing me?"

She sounded frustrated. If only she knew.

"I'm - I just miss you, okay?" He looked down.

"Miss me? After two years, now you miss me?"

Hiccup turned around to gaze at her furiously. "I didn't see you trying!"

"It's not like you're easy to approach now that you're chief! You were always busy!"

"Oh, so if I had come to you earlier, you would have took me back, huh?"

"Maybe I would have!"

"You are impossible!"

Astrid leaned forward and kissed him hardly, all tongue and teeth. Toothless spread his wings and began to glide as Hiccup's hands went loose on the saddle.

They were kissing. Thor, they were kissing.

He didn't even have time to think about how ironic that it was the actual woman repellent had been the one to make this happen. He was too busy remembering how passionate Astrid could be.

Hiccup opened his mouth, and he was kissing her back.


	6. Day 5

**Day 5**

 **Oh my** _ **gosh**_ **, I want to work on Dead of Night and I Knew You Were Trouble, not** _ **this.**_

 _It starts off with just not having time for her._

 _Hiccup doesn't truly realize he's doing it, that he's pushing her away. He has chief duties, he needs time for Toothless, he wants to spend time with his mom. He just seems to get generally upset when she's there, but that's only the beginning._

 _He starts keeping her from things. Astrid is his general, but he orders her to stay out of battle. A small voice in his head says she could mess this up as much as she messed up the battle where he lost his dad._

 _Astrid seems to accept it at first, as though agreeing with him. That she deserved some form of punishment. She does nothing but glare at him when he orders her to another task during battle. She doesn't like it, but she does it. She punishes herself. They both subconsciously think that she is the one who is responsible for Stoick's death._

 _It's all tense, but it explodes one day when the chief orders someone else to take Stormfly out into battle while Astrid stays back. Pirates are attacking._

 _She asks him quietly, then. She says that the man doesn't know how to fly Stormfly like she does. She says the man could die. She says Stormfly could die. She pleads gently, but he doesn't listen._

 _She is proven right._

* * *

"I still don't completely understand," Hiccup said, a little nervously, "why you agreed to do this."

He was talking to Eret, son of Eret. In other words, someone who had not known him and Astrid since childhood. Hiccup was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt - he had doubted Snotlout and the twins, but they had come through for him.

And he and Astrid had kissed yesterday. Not a small, short kiss either. It was more forceful on both their parts, as though they were to somehow make up for all the time they had missed in that one kiss.

It had been silent, Astrid had left when Toothless landed. It was still progress.

Eret shrugged. "Like I said, you two are my friends. I - I owe a lot to you and Astrid."

"You don't owe us anything." Hiccup shrugged. "You changed sides. If anything, we owe you."

Eret frowned. "Did you never know exactly how I changed sides?"

At this, Hiccup frowned. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't. No one had told him the exact circumstances - he just knew that Eret was riding on Stormfly and he had changed sometime while he himself had been reuniting with his mom.

"Astrid and the others kidnapped me, to make me take them to Drago." He chuckled. "I was terrified. Stormfly had me suspended in the air. Anyway, Drago had ordered for my head, but that Nadder saved me. And after I helped them escape, we bonded."

"You were close to Stormfly too," Hiccup murmured, a familiar feeling of crushing guilt entering his stomach, "you -"

Eret put a hand up. "Don't apologize to me, please. I was still nowhere near as attached as Astrid was."

There was the barest hint in there, and Hiccup felt himself back away slightly from the older man. He had clearly heard a lot from Astrid.

"Maybe..." Eret continued, a bit hesitantly, "maybe you two should talk about it."

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. "You're right, a-and I would. But we're on a time crunch. I can't risk possibly messing things up."

He shrugged. "You said you kissed yesterday, right? And it was because you commemorated some big moment in your relationship. Maybe - maybe just spend time talking about those days. At least then she'll remember what it was like."

"That's -" Hiccup gaped. "That's actually a good idea."

"Let me guess. For the first time since this all started?"

"Exactly."

* * *

"Not now." Astrid held up a hand. "I have a class."

Hiccup paused, staring at her. "I didn't -"

She stepped closer. "You want to talk about yesterday. Or do something together. I know. You want to be friends. But I have a class to teach."

"Can I watch?" he tried.

Astrid looked conflicted, but then sighed and said, "I don't see why not," before walking into the arena. Hiccup followed, seeing a bunch of little kids sitting on a log.

"Alright!" the general said loudly. "You're all here to learn! Not to sit there, or to talk to each other, or have fun! Now grab an axe from the box!"

They were small weapons, thank Thor, although even then a few kids struggled to pick them. Hiccup stepped forward to help, but Astrid's arm was in front of him in a second. "Don't. Let them do it."

The smallest child eventually got it, putting an axe over his shoulder and giving a wide smile to the chief, who smiled back.

Remembering Eret's advice, Hiccup asked, "You're not going to ask them to drop and give you twenty, are you?"

Astrid's lips quirked in a smile.

"Not this particular bunch, no."

"Ah, right, because none of these kids are related to Snotlout."

"Exactly."

They both laughed, before Astrid picked up her own axe and stood a few feet from the target, narrowing her eyes at it. She aimed - crack. The weapon met it's wooden target.

"Your turn." She turned to the kids, pointing out each respective target. They were all a good distance away from each other.

Hiccup watched as all the kids failed because they were trying too hard to get it dead center like Astrid had. She walked around, directing kids on their grip.

"Can the chief do it?" one of the little girls asked, sneaking a glance at Hiccup.

"No," Astrid said right away.

Hiccup gaped. "Hey! I could do it! In case you've forgotten…" He leaned in. "I've beaten you, Hofferson."

She scoffed as the kids tittered, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, please. You only used the sneak attack. You cheater."

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Oh, there's no need for that -" Hiccup began, holding up his hands.

"Why not?" Astrid challenged, raising a brow. "Scared of me?"

More like terrified, but not exactly of her sparring skills. He could take her, right? Right?

He took a deep breath and said, "You're on."

The kids cheered, clearing the targets and little axes lying around. They pressed to the side as Hiccup took out Inferno from it's compartment on his leg. He and Astrid circled each other.

" _Call it a draw?"_

"He needs a flaming sword to back him up," Astrid taunted before running forward and charging. Hiccup sidestepped and that was how they went, with her on the attack and him on the defense.

" _Not on your life!"_

Hiccup did make a few jabs at her. She dove under him and knocked him down and before he could complain that he taught her that move, she had her axe to his throat.

"I win," Astrid said, satisfied.

Hiccup made a big show of surrendering and the kids giggled as she rolled her eyes, helping him up. The kids were dismissed.

"Astrid," he began, trying to steer the conversation back to them. "We should -"

She put a finger on his lips. "No. I don't want to talk about yesterday. Not another word. Not yet."

"But -"

"Not another word."

Hiccup fumbled for something to say even as she narrowed her eyes, before finally giving up and crossing his arms. "You really are impossible."

"I know. But you're the one trying to be my friend." She shot him a grin, kissing his cheek and running out of the arena.


End file.
